City Council Approves $40,000 for Equipment Move to Add 15 More Jobs at Local Hood Packaging Plant
August 4th, 2010 by Joe BurgessMonticelloLive on Vimeo.
The Monticello City Council in a special called meeting Tuesday evening, agreed to appropriate $40,000.00 to MEDC to help defray the costs of moving and installing manufacturing equipment at Hood Packaging, in a program similar to what the council took part in several months ago.
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission has committed to provide $300,000 to the effort, which will go along with $20,000 from “20 for the Future”, $40,000 from the MEDC, and the potential $40,000 from the city council.
As in the case of the earlier funding of $250,000 for transportation and installation of another piece of equipment from a closed Hood facility in Georgia, the company agrees to add 15 additional jobs (which will be possible because of this new equipment), which pay over $14.50/hr. for a pre-determined length of time, or this funding reverts into a loan that must be paid back to the funding parties.
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This is the most logical action the council will have made in recent months. Decisive action is what the people of this town need from the city council in these tough economic times. You never know but this might be the spark that Monticello needs to really start developing long lasting jobs for this town.
Its a great thing to add jobs to our area, but hire with full pay not through a temp agency making 8.00 per hour.
EQUIPTMENT MOVING, PRODUCING JOBS? WE NEED A HEAD COUNT ON THOSE EMPLOYEES AND THE AVERAGE PAY!
More jobs is what Monticello needs. If you want to help out Monticello help the small companys grow and let new companys in.
DO IT!!!!!!!
What kind of jobs will it be? What will be the requirements? Most Monticello people are unemployed due to not having an education. In today’s job market, employers want a college education or at least a high school diploma. There are some people who were not lucky enough to receive a diploma for some reason or another. What about them? How are they going to find a job? Some jobs want at least a year experience. What about new graduates who do not have work experience? What are they suppose to do? I hope Monticello will bring in jobs where the less unfortunate can find a job.
I spoke to someone involved in the project, Wednesday, and here’s how the new jobs will be filled..
These 15 additional jobs will be related to operating the new machine, and production line that will be involved with the product that it creates.
The new jobs created by this machine will be paid at the $14.50+ pay rate. These specific jobs will likely be filled by current employees, that are experienced with industrial machine operation; but their promotion to these new jobs will open up their former positions, for other employee promotions, until new jobs are open at entry level positions.
The overall effect is that 15 new jobs at $14.50 have been added to the Monticello facility, and that the overall company’s employment numbers will increase by 15, as well.
This is GREAT news for the Monticello area. Considering that so many Arkansas communities have lost businesses and industries, we are expanding one of ours! Wouldn’t hurt to thank the business/industry owners and/or managers for hanging in there during these tough economic times!!!
We so often complain about the little things in our community that in 100 years will not matter anyway. This will matter in 100 years because it means that deserving workers at this company will get promotions that they have worked hard for. It will also open up entry level postions for additional workers.
Anyway you look at it, adding jobs is a BLESSING!
Monticello has A LOT to be thankful for. This can be the spark to ignite more positive things.
Thank you, Joe for giving a better explaination of the flow for this project.